ridicule

noun

rid·i·cule | \ ˈri-də-ˌkyül

Definition of ridicule

(Entry 1 of 2)

: the act of ridiculing : derision, mockery

ridicule

verb

ridiculed; ridiculing

Definition of ridicule (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to make fun of

Other Words from ridicule Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about ridicule

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Synonyms for ridicule

Synonyms: Noun

derision, mockery, sport

Synonyms: Verb

deride, gibe (or jibe), jeer, laugh (at), mock, scout, shoot down, skewer

Choose the Right Synonym for ridicule

Verb

ridicule, deride, mock, taunt mean to make an object of laughter of. ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling. consistently ridiculed everything she said deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule. derided their efforts to start their own business mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference. youngsters began to mock the helpless wino taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge. hometown fans taunted the visiting team

Examples of ridicule in a Sentence

Noun

She didn't show anyone her artwork for fear of ridicule. the early efforts by the suffragists to obtain voting rights for women were met with ridicule

Verb

The other kids ridiculed him for the way he dressed. They ridiculed all of her suggestions.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

That’s made them an object of ridicule on the Internet and elsewhere, and the source of more than a few lawsuits. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Brit to HOA: ‘The flag is absolutely not coming down’," 1 Sep. 2019 But watching Arthur exult as the crime wave crescendos is a chilling spectacle illustrating what all the ridicule, abuse and marginalization he's been subjected to have wrought. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Joker': Film Review | Venice 2019," 31 Aug. 2019 Cummings, who was the subject of ridicule in Trump’s tweet storm about Baltimore, signed the letter that urged Congress to retain funding for the grant program. — Catherine Rentz, baltimoresun.com, "Trump called Baltimore ‘rat and rodent infested’ 4 months after he tried ending its federal rat control funding," 26 Aug. 2019 In both places, the idea of a sale has been met with ridicule. — The Economist, "A polarising president: Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland," 16 Aug. 2019 For decades, the bloc was the target of ridicule in Britain for what was perceived as European hubris and an inefficient bureaucracy. — Raf Casert, The Seattle Times, "Little gloating in Europe at Britain’s Brexit mess," 30 Mar. 2019 Thailand's military drew criticism and ridicule in 2010 when the GT200 bomb detectors — which were claimed to also be capable of detecting drugs and other substances — were exposed as worthless pseudo-scientific instruments. — Kaweewit Kaewjinda, Fox News, "Thai businessman convicted of selling fake bomb detectors," 27 Sep. 2018 Despite a firestorm of criticism and ridicule in the Russian-language social media, no Russian broadcaster dared to discuss the situation, let alone to complain. — Anatoly Zak, Popular Mechanics, "Why Putin Wouldn't Let You Watch Russia's Latest Space Launch," 28 Apr. 2016 Scorn for precedent is the most venerable youth-culture tradition of them all, making hippies irrelevant as either forebears or entertaining objects of ridicule to anyone under 30. — Tom Carson, Los Angeles Times, "Woodstock glorified them. Tarantino barbecued them. In 2019, whither the hippie?," 15 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

What made the moment ironic was that just days earlier, Trump himself was ridiculed by a Democratic presidential opponent for being a lumpy wreck of a commander-in-chief. — Patrick May, The Mercury News, "On the political trail, a new hot-button issue emerges: Fat-shaming," 16 Aug. 2019 Trump also dispatched his hostage affairs envoy, Robert O’Brien, to Stockholm to attend the trial - a move that has been widely ridiculed in Sweden. — Rick Noack, Anchorage Daily News, "Swedish court finds rapper A$AP Rocky guilty of assault," 14 Aug. 2019 Trump also dispatched his hostage affairs envoy, Robert O’Brien, to Stockholm to attend the trial - a move that has been widely ridiculed in Sweden. — cleveland.com, "Swedish court finds rapper A$AP Rocky guilty of assault," 14 Aug. 2019 He was ridiculed by some in the media for being too demanding and for making them run after committing dumb penalties. — Terry Pluto, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Browns: Does Freddie Kitchens have the right approach to training camp?," 13 Aug. 2019 Republican lawmakers, including Fresno Assemblyman Jim Patterson, have ridiculed the proposal. — Erin Baldassari, The Mercury News, "A not-so-high-speed train in the Central Valley could be a boon for the Bay Area," 1 Aug. 2019 These jokes ridicule the idea that anything truly relevant about our social realities can be measured to a fraction of a percent. — New York Times, "The Racial Spectacle of DNA Test Result Videos," 6 May 2018 And he was ridiculed, he was mocked, he was called racist at that time. — Dave Orrick, Twin Cities, "Kendall Qualls talks patriotism in America, Moynihan’s ‘Negro Family’ report, and Dean Phillips: The full interview," 29 July 2019 The thing that my Peruvian family used so discreetly here in the U.S. in order to not be ridiculed or ostracized is now a trend. — Thatiana Diaz, refinery29.com, "Why Palo Santo Is More Than Just A "Fragrance Trend"," 25 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ridicule.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.